The Rappahannock Area Health Education Center (RAHEC) addresses the availability and distribution of primary health care providers throughout its 18-locality service region. RAHEC?s mission is to alleviate the access to care problems faced by rural, medically underserved communities and to improve the provision of cost-effective health care in these areas. Project RAHECNet began in November 1997. In the initial phase of development, 12 sites were established in 10 rural counties, all of which are designated as medically underserved by the state or federal government. These isolated rural health care providers can quickly and efficiently find information via RAHECNet to use in treating and educating patients. RAHEC now seeks to expand the network to primary care clinics in counties not yet reached by RAHECNet and to specific organizations that play a vital role in rural health care in the region, such as the Northern Neck Free Clinic. The total participant group (current and planned) comprises more than 50 health care providers working in public health departments, community health centers, free clinics, private practice, and rural hospitals throughout the region. Most also serve as preceptors for medical, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant students. The proposed expansion will """"""""extend connectivity to outlying sites ... furthering NLM?s goal of expanding information outreach."""""""" Specifically, in expanding Project RAHECNet, RAHEC will: Add ten new rural health institutions to RAHECNet; Provide Internet access to each new RAHECNet site; Train health Care professionals at each RAHECNet site in the skills needed to take fuel advantage of Internet and Intranet access; and Develop a fee schedule for permanent maintenance of RAHECNet, including connectivity, technical support, and end-user training.
